Recent Blog Posts

Urgent care providers offer convenient, time-saving alternatives to visiting an emergency room for minor, non-life-threatening medical conditions. These healthcare centers typically have shorter wait times and offer services like X-rays, urgent treatment of colds and flu, sprains, strains, and fractures, on-site lab tests, and physicals. Urgent care centers provide efficient diagnoses of various health problems, ranging from minor to severe. Some are also equipped with on-site lab testing capabilities so that patients can get results ...

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A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is a frustrating ailment that causes a runny nose, congestion, swollen and/or itching eyes, a sore throat, headaches, and other symptoms. While there isn’t necessarily a quick sinus infection cure, there are certainly ways that you can ease your discomfort and speed up your recovery.  If you’re suffering from sinusitis, know that you aren’t alone; approximately 90% of patients with colds have an element of viral ...

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Local urgent care centers in Hickory, or family walk-in clinics, offer patients convenient and affordable urgent healthcare services. When you visit a family walk-in clinic, you can expect quick, quality care at a fraction of the cost of your local emergency room.  Emergency rooms tend to be very busy and crowded and are associated with longer waiting times and higher fees. By going to a walk-in doctor’s office for a non-life-threatening illness or injury ...

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If you start to develop a cough throughout your day, it is not uncommon to wonder where your cough will lead. A simple cold could be on the horizon for you, or you could be in the beginning stages of a bronchitis or pneumonia infection. Both bronchitis and pneumonia are infections that affect your upper respiratory systems and can cause severe symptoms if left untreated or unaddressed. We can help determine what type of infection ...

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What is an urgent care clinic? And how does it differ from the emergency room? When should you go to the emergency room, and when should you go to an urgent care center? Whatever questions you may have, AFC has the answers.    What Is An Urgent Care Clinic? Urgent care is the level of healthcare that lies between your primary care physician (PCP) and the emergency room. When you go to urgent care, you can ...

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There is no doubt about it, we are in the throes of the winter season. We have dealt with colder temperatures, crazy weather and widespread respiratory infections already! In response to all of this, you might be feeling a bit more sad than normal at this point in the year. While periods of sadness or occasional symptoms of depression can happen during the winter, a condition called seasonal affective disorder is relatively common and affects ...

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If the flu has made its way into your home, you certainly aren’t alone! There have been thousands of influenza cases across the country this season, and North Carolina is no different. If you are feeling under the weather, seeking treatment and relief is probably at the forefront of your mind. While the flu is a viral illness and needs to run its course, there are some things you can do to ease your ...

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Getting sick is never fun. It can be especially a nuisance when it is cold outside and leaving your home to seek medication sounds even more miserable. In order to make the most of your trip, you should understand what kind of illness you are suffering from! Viral infections and bacterial infections are two different kinds of illnesses that require different treatment options. Read on as our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team breaks down the ...

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If you have a little one sick at home right now, you are not alone! There are so many illnesses circulating right now that it can feel like an uphill battle keeping your kids healthy. If your child is sick, chances are that he or she has had a fever at some point. Did you know that fevers can actually be aiding in his or her recovery? Most fevers are not serious and can actually ...

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Influenza season is upon us once more! While it may feel like we just made it through last year’s season, it is time to start protecting ourselves from this year’s strains. Did you know that there are different versions of the flu shot available to you? While there is the standard flu shot that protects against the most common strains, there are high-dose vaccines designed to provide an extra layer of protection for ...

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